Mass Effect 2 is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, January 26, 2025. A significant marker for a game that carved a unique niche in the RPG genre, its episodic structure is reminiscent of television seasons, setting it apart from the traditional narratives in RPGs.
Unlike most RPGs, which often mimic fantasy or sci-fi novels with grand quests and linear events, Mass Effect 2 embodies the episodic format typical of television shows. While many games have been released since its launch, ME2’s approach remains compelling and relevant. The player’s protagonist, Commander Shepard, assembles a crew of twelve characters for a "suicide mission." Most of the gameplay revolves around recruiting these diverse party members and resolving their personal subplots, often making the main storyline feel secondary to the character-focused missions.
This character-driven approach is somewhat transformative, allowing for standalone adventures akin to episodes in a TV series, which is aligned with the dynamics of classic shows like Star Trek. The game includes elements that allow characters to explore their complexities, such as Thane, a character elevated by thoughtful writing and nuanced interactions.
However, the ensemble nature of ME2 also presents challenges. While the emphasis on individual character stories yields memorable moments, it diminishes the potential for interactions among the party members. Because characters often rotate in and out of the squad, meaningful development between them is limited. The narrative cannot sustain narrative tension or conflict over a long arc, resembling issues faced by many RPGs where characters end up back “at camp” while the player ventures out.
Despite its intentions, even where conflicts exist—like the tension between Jack and Miranda—these moments are isolated and resolved quickly, lacking depth. Decisive character arcs often don’t progress significantly for returning members like Tali or Garrus, leading to recognizable archetypal roles rather than deeper exploration.
While Mass Effect 2 does excel in creating emotional stakes through its missions, the restrictive episodic structure leaves some of its potential untapped. In spite of various RPGs experimenting with the format over the years, few have successfully integrated the unique aspects of ME2’s episodic storytelling into their designs. The limitations become apparent when one considers that more recent titles, though innovative in their own right, often pursue different narrative aims instead of building upon ME2’s foundational ideas.
In summary, Mass Effect 2 represents a pivotal exploration of what RPGs could be—unique yet flawed in its execution. Though it succeeded in breathing life into character-centric storytelling, the true potential hinted at remains largely unrealized. The anniversary of ME2 prompts contemplation not just of what it achieved but what could still be accomplished in gaming narratives.
